E-module

Glossary

Terms that are used in the trafficking and safe migration sector

  • Anti-trafficking
  • Any law, policy, practice or action which is opposed to human trafficking.
  • Child labour
  • The employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their education, or is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and/or harmful. You can find more information about child labour here.
  • Country of destination
  • When trafficking occurs across international borders, this term refers to the country to which the person is transported in order to be exploited.
  • Country of origin
  • When trafficking occurs across international borders, this term refers to the country from which a person is transported in order to be exploited.
  • Domestic servitude
  • The act of subjecting a person to labour exploitation, excessive working hours or degrading working conditions in a private household.
  • Exploitation
  • The action of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.
  • Forced begging
  • A form of exploitation in which a person is forced to ask a stranger for money, or sell small items in return for money.
  • Forced criminal activities
  • A form of exploitation in which a person is forced to commit crimes such as transporting or cultivating narcotics, or petty theft.
  • Forced labour
  • All work or service exacted from someone under the menace of any penalty and for which the person in question has not offered her or himself voluntarily. The definition of forced labour is found in the ILO Forced Labour Convention.
  • Human trafficking
  • The recruitment, transportation, harbouring or receipt of people through threats or use of force or other forms of abuse or deception for the purpose of exploitation. Trafficking may take place within a country or across international borders. The full definition of human trafficking is found in the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.
  • Illegal adoption
  • Exploiting a child by transferring them to someone who is not their legal parent or guardian, without observing legal adoption processes. You can find more information about illegal adoption here.
  • Informed consent
  • For someone to give their informed consent they must understand the consequences, risks and benefits of giving their consent; have full and correct information about what they’re consenting to; and have sufficient mental capacity. If one of these elements is missing, consent cannot be considered valid.
  • Migrant
  • A person who leaves or flees their usual residence to go to new places – usually abroad – to seek opportunities or safer and better prospects.
  • Migration
  • The movement of a person or a group of people, either across an international border or within a state, regardless of duration, composition, causes or reason.
  • Modern slavery
  • An umbrella term that refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception and/or abuse of power. Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery.
  • Organ harvesting
  • A form of trafficking involving the removal of a person’s organs without their valid consent.
  • Recruitment
  • The act of recruiting a person to exploit them. Recruitment may involve actual or threatened violence and kidnapping, deception or an abuse of power. It can happen through informal and formal networks using personal relationships, social networks and online advertisements, as well as through private employment agencies.
  • Sexual exploitation
  • The act of obtaining money or other benefits from the involuntary prostitution of another person or through sexual violence, including via involuntary pornography (adults) and child sexual abuse imagery (children).
  • Smuggling
  • Irregular entry into another country or state facilitated by a third party (smuggler) for financial or other material benefit. Smuggled people usually consent to being transported. They may be exposed to risks due to the irregular nature of their journey. The definition is found in the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (Smuggling Protocol).
  • Survivor of trafficking
  • A person who was, but no longer is, being subjected to exploitation or trafficking.
  • Transit country
  • When trafficking occurs across international borders, this term refers to a country through which a person is transported on the way to the destination where exploitation takes place.